Matt Moore returns to Kansas City Chiefs on one-year deal

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed Matt Moore to a one-year deal for the 2020 season.

The Kansas City Chiefs have brought back veteran quarterback Matt Moore into the fold for the 2020 NFL season on a one-year deal, per Yahoo! Sports reporter Terez A. Paylor.

The Chiefs have been interested in Matt Moore for the last few years and initially brought him in as a free agent to compete with Chad Henne as the veteran to sit behind Patrick Mahomes during his first season as the team’s starting quarterback. Henne won out at first, but the Chiefs called Moore’s number when Henne was injured during the preseason in 2019.

After Moore took over, he was needed more than expected when Mahomes himself went down with a knee injury at midseason during the Chiefs Super Bowl run. Moore ended up playing in six games overall, starting two of them, and filled in admirably for the Chiefs during an important stretch when facing tough opponents from the NFC North—the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.

Moore completed 64 percent of his passes last season with the Chiefs and threw 4 touchdowns against 0 interceptions. He finished with a 100.9 passer rating and did exactly what any team would want their backup to do, which is to limit mistakes and give them a chance to remain competitive.

Henne was re-signed this offseason to a one-year deal and it was assumed he would be the veteran heading into camp. However, this season looks like NFL teams will be able to carry more players than normal given the changes being made to try to play in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. That being the case, Moore gives the position more security than before and the Chiefs should feel good about all scenarios under center.

For those hoping that younger players like Jordan Ta’amu might be able to step up and claim a spot like this, the lack of a preseason seriously hurts all developmental players at this point. Ta’amu is likely to be relegated to the practice squad while the Chiefs roll with proven products in a season without any margin.